USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 25
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 25
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Charles L. Julig was educated in the public schools of Carver county, Minnesota, and as a young man worked out among the farmers of that county. In the spring of 1881 he came to Douglas county, and in the fall of that same year bought eighty acres of land in section 16 of Leaf Valley
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township, which, at the time he purchased it, was wild prairie land. He went to work at once to develop and improve his land and in 1895 bought his father's forty acres, and a little later the forty acres adjoining it. In 1882 he purchased forty acres more in section 16, and in 1897 he purchased eighty additional acres in the same section, so that at present he is the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of fine farming land. He has made all the improvements on his land, and has about one hundred and seventy-five acres of it under plow, while the remainder is meadow and pasture land, with a little timber. In 1908 he built a new barn, which is thirty-two by fifty-two feet in dimensions, and all his farm buildings are modern and up-to-date. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising and has a fine herd of Red Polled cattle.
In 1892 Charles L. Julig was married to Sophie Schmid, who was born in Ottertail county, Minnesota, the daughter of George Schmid, and to this union ten children have been born: Mary, the wife of Max Wagner, a car- penter living in Alexandria; George, who is a blacksmith and has a shop on his father's farm; Margaret, who is a graduate of the high school at Alex- andria, and also a normal student, is a teacher in Belle River township, and Carl, John, Frank, Leona, Eddie, Anna and Helen, who are at home with their parents. The family are earnest and devout Catholics and Mr. Julig is a trustee of the church at Millerville.
Mr. Julig is a Republican and has served his township as supervisor for twenty-one years. He has also served as school director in district No. 53 for about twenty years. Besides his farming interests, Mr. Julig is a stock- holder in the Valley Creamery Association.
OLE ENGEMON.
A successful farmer and worthy citizen of Solem township, Douglas county, is Ole Engemon, who was born in Norway, August 6, 1848, the son of Engemon Olson and Margaret (Sibjorson) Engemon, both natives of Norway. Engemon Olson came to America in 1860, locating first in Lafayette county, Wisconsin, and in 1867 came to Douglas county, where he homesteaded one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 24 of Solem township, and on this farm he lived the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1872. He and his wife were the parents of eight chil- dren, Emma, Julia, William, Ole, Christina, Margaret, Betsey and Carrie.
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Of these children all are living with the exception of three, Emma, Julia and Margaret.
Ole Engemon had little opportunity for educational training but at- tended the schools of his native land to some extent. As a young man he worked with his father, who was a farmer in Norway, and came with the family to America. Here he assisted his father to clear and develop his farm in Douglas county, and about 1876 he started farming for himself. He is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres in Solem township, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising, and has been quite successful in his chosen calling.
Ole Engemon married Anna N. Valle, the daughter of John Gura, and there are no children. He and his wife are earnest and devout members of the Norwegian Lutheran church, in the affairs of which they are deeply interested. Mr. Engemon is a Republican in politics.
P. M. PETERSON.
P. M. Peterson, a well-known and successful farmer of Pelican Lake township, Grant county, was born in that township on December 15, 1875, the son of Anton and Mary (Larson) Peterson. Michael Larson, the ma- ternal grandfather of P. M. Peterson, was a native of Norway, who came to the United States and located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, one of the early pioneers, and there he spent the rest of his life. Peter Tuhran, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Norway, who died in his native land. His widow, Mary ( Nergeson) Thuran, came to the United States in 1880 to join her children, who had located here. She died in 1897 at the age of seventy-nine years. Peter Thuran died in 1867, at the age of fifty-eight years. To them were born the following children: Alga, Anton, Theodore, Jolın, Ole, Lewis and Martin, all of whom, with the exception of Alga, came to the United States. Alga is now deecased, as is Anton and Ole.
Anton Peterson was born in Norway and there received his education in the public schools and there grew to manhood. At the age of twenty-one he decided to come to America, and after landing in the United States, in 1867, he obtained work in New York, where he remained for two years, working as a farm hand. He then went to Wisconsin, where he worked in the woods for one winter, after which he came to Minnesota, and here he located in Fillmore county, where he worked as a farm hand for his father-
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in-law, Mr. Larson, for three years. After his marriage, in January, 1875, he drove a team of horses to Grant county, where he purchased a farm in Pelican Lake township. He obtained one hundred and sixty acres in section 29 and there he lived until the time of his death. The farm he developed and improved and engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he was quite successful, becoming the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of excellent land, all in Pelican Lake township. He was a man of much ability and always took an active interest in local affairs, being recog- nized as one of the prominent and influential men of the township. His death occurred on July 16, 1911. During his many years of active life, Anton Peterson was held in the highest regard by all who knew him. He and his wife were active members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and took much interest in church work.
Anton Peterson had one of the best-improved farms in the township. His barn, sixty by sixty-four feet, was at that time the largest barn in the community. He rebuilt his house and made it one of the substantial ones in the county. In addition to his other interests he was a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company and in the creamery at Ashby. He and Mrs. Peterson were the parents of the following children: Peter, Sander, Caro- line, Michael, Josephine and Alma. Mrs. Peterson is still living on the home farm and with her are her children, Caroline, Sander, Josephine and Alma. The family have long been prominent in the social and the religious life of the township, where they are highly regarded by their neighbors and friends.
P. M. Peterson received his education in the public schools of Pelican Lake township. He grew to manhood on the home farm, where as a lad and young man he assisted his father with the work. On October 27, 1909, he was united in marriage to Caroline Thorp. Four years before that time he had gone to North Dakota, where he had taken a homestead of one hun- dred and sixty acres, which he proved up, and then returned to Grant county, and later sold his Dakota homestead. He now owns his father's old home- stead, having purchased it from the other heirs. In 1914 he erected a large barn, thirty by fifty-six feet, and during the same year he built a new house. In addition to his large interests on the farm, Mr. Peterson is the owner of stock in the Farmers' Elevator Company at Ashby. He has always taken much interest in local affairs and has ever been ready to assist in any worthy cause that would tend to the betterment and the improvement of the township and the county. He is a firm believer in intensive farming and in the best possible cultivation. As a general farmer and stock raiser he has been suc-
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cessful and is regarded as among the successful men in that line in the town- ship.
P. M. Peterson and wife are the parents of four children, Arthur M., Clifford P., Adeline M. and Laurence. The family are prominent in the social life of the community and are interested in the betterment of social conditions.
SVEN NICHOLAS SWENSON.
The late Sven Nicholas Swenson, who for years was one of the best . known and most substantial farmers of the Holmes City neighborhood, was born in Sweden on July 4, 1835. and died on October 16, 1911. He received his education in his native land, where he lived until he was twenty-nine years of age. In 1864 he decided to come to America, and after landing in this country, he located in Illinois, where he remained for two years, after which he removed to Red Wing, Minnesota, where he lived for eight months. In 1867 he moved to Douglas county and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, in section 33, Holmes City township, just across the line from Pope county. That farm he developed and improved and there made his home for many years, after which he purchased the farm where his sons, Theo and Frank Swenson now reside, also in Holmes City township. He did not sell the old homestead, but in time became the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of good land. One year before his death he sold all his land to his sons, Albert L., Frank R. and Theo E. Albert Swenson later entered the engineering department of a large factory at St. Paul and sold his interest in the farms to the other two brothers.
On March 23, 1867, at Red Wing, Minnesota, Sven Nicholas Swenson was united in marriage to Anna Sophia Jacobson, also a native of Sweden, who came to the United States with her brother at the same time Mr. Swen- son came. She was born on June 20, 1840, and died on March 25, 1915. During her lifetime she was a devoted wife and mother, contributing largely to her husband's success and in every way performing her wifely and motherly duties in a splendid manner. Her many fine qualities endeared her to all and her death was deplored by her many friends. She and her hus- band were regarded during their lifetime as among that sturdy type of pioneers who laid the foundations for the magnificent social structure so evident in this community today. To their family they bequeathed the
SVEN NICHOLAS SWENSON AND WIFE.
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heritage of a good name and to them imparted the knowledge of the value of honest labor and good lives, and no family in the community stands in higher esteem for general worth. To Sven N. and Anna Sophia (Jacob- son ) Swenson were born five children, Nannie, Albert L., Frank R., Ellen, and Theo E. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson were active members of the Oscar Lake Lutheran church, in which denomination all the children were con- firmed and became influential members. Mr. Swenson also took much inter- est in local affairs and was held in the highest regard by all who knew him.
Theo E. Swenson received his education in the common schools of Douglas county and remained with his father on the home farms, until he purchased one hundred and sixty acres from his father one year before the latter's death. To this original farm of one hundred and sixty acres, Theo E. Swenson has added eighty acres that he purchased from his brother Albert. It is on this well-developed and nicely-improved farm that Mr. Swenson is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he has been quite successful.
On July 2, 1912, Theo E. Swenson was united in marriage to Anna Christina Mickelson, who was born in Holmes City township, daughter of M. J. Malm, who came to America in 1892 and is now a resident of Holmes City township, and to this union two children have been born, Raymond Nicolas and Arleigh Michael, the latter of whom was born in September, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson are active members of the Lutheran church and are prominent in the social life of the community. Mr. Swenson has always taken much interest in local civic affairs and is now a member of the board of township supervisors.
Frank R. Swenson, who is living on another part of his late father's farm in Holmes City township, the owner of a well-developed tract of two hundred and thirty acres, where he and his family are very pleasantly situ- ated, gives considerable attention, besides his farming interests, to his work as a monument dresser and marble carver. He is an expert in that line, having thoroughly learned the trade of monument-cutter, and devoted con- siderable time to the business, having a large patronage in that line. Frank Swenson was married at Wheaton on January 18, 1912, to Anna Nelson, who was born in Sweden. He and his wife take a proper part in the various social activities of their home community. They have one child, a daughter, Edith, born on January 20, 1914.
Nannie Swenser married Frank Dalen and lives on a farm three miles (17a)
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south of Kensington, where Mr. Dalen devotes his time to his fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Dalen have been born five children, Harry, Mabel, Elmer, Raymond and Kermit.
Ellen Swenson married Ole J. Holm and lives on a farm of two hun- dred and twenty-five acres in Holmes City township, where Mr. Holmes devotes his attention to general farming.
SYVERT S. WANGSNESS.
There are a comparatively large number of farmers in Grant and Doug- las counties who came from Winneshiek county, Iowa. Among these the name of Syvert S. Wangsness, of Stony Brook township, should be men- tioned. He was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, September 29, 1860, and is a son of Sjur Hermundson Wangsness and Torbjor (Larson) Wangs- ness, both natives of Norway, from which country they came in an early day to Wisconsin, later moving to Winneshiek county, Iowa. To Mr. WVangsness and wife were born the following-named children: A son, Her- mund, who died at the age of ten years; Ingeborg; Eli (deceased) ; Ger- trude (deceased), and Syvert, the subject of this review, the youngest. Sjur Wangsness died in Winneshiek county and his widow subsequently married Tores Hanson, a widower, who had three children by his first marriage, Anna, Gurina and Hans, and by his second wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, he had one child, Louise, now the wife of Gabriel N. Thyse. In 1870 Tores Hanson with his family came to Grant county, Minnesota, where he took a homestead consisting of one hundred and forty-seven acres in Stony Brook township, adding to the same eighty acres more. On this homestead he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring in 1901. She died in 1891. The daughter, Louise, and son-in-law, Gabriel N. Thyse, are now living on the old homestead.
The subject of this sketch was ten years old when his parents settled in Grant county. When a boy he worked hard on the farm, having little chance to obtain an education, but he has studied at home and is fairly well informed in a general way. He worked out as a farm hand for some time. Saving his earnings, he bought one hundred and twenty-three acres of railroad land and later forty acres in Stony Brook township. He has worked hard and now has a well-tilled farm, on which stand good buildings and a fine grove.
Politically, Mr. Wangsness is a Republican and is active in local af-
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fairs. He has been a member of the school board for nine years. He was also for some time supervisor, chairman of the board a part of the time. When only twenty-one years old he was road overseer. He has also always been active in church work, being a member of the United Lutheran church.
Mr. Wangsness was married in 1885 to Karen Hole, who was born in Norway in 1867. She is a daughter of Torger and Tonete Hole, natives of Norway, from which country they came to Minnesota in an early day, estab- lishing their home at Aastad, Ottertail county, where they spent the rest of their lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Wangsness the following children have been born: Sander, Thonette, Thoralf, Harry, Thora, Joseph, Gertrude, Alice, Enoch and Walter, all of whom are living.
CARL J. DAHLSTROM.
Of the many Swedes who have come to the United States and located in the great farming districts of our Western states, where they have, by their industry and perseverance, developed the land into well-cultivated fields, dotted here and there with modern and substantial buildings, few deserve greater credit for this magnificent work than does Carl J. Dahlstrom, one of Douglas county's well-known pioneer farmers. He was born on March 8, 1851, the son of John and Bertha Dahlstrom, who later came to the United States.
Carl J. Dahlstrom received his education in the land of his nativity and there grew to manhood. As a lad he assisted his father, who was a farmer and a small landowner. Carl J. Dahlstrom married Charlotta Anderson and some time after their marriage they came to America. They landed at Phil- adelphia, coming thence directly to Minnesota. From St. Paul they- pro- ceeded to Alexandria, where they remained for four years, after which they homesteaded in sections 1 and 2, Carlos township, the land at that time being for the most part wild and unimproved. Mr. Dahlstrom's first farm con- sisted of forty acres, which he has now increased to one hundred and twenty acres, the most of which is under a high state of cultivation and well im- proved. The early years on the farm were hard ones to the family. Com- ing, as they did, into a strange land and amid strange conditions, they have, after long and tiresome years of labor, succeeded, today Mr. Dahlstrom being the owner of one of the best farms in the township.
To Carl J. and Charlotta Dahlstrom have been born the following chil-
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dren : Carl, Ellen, Mary, Bertha, Selma, Esther, Hattie, Arthur, Albin and Jerda. Carl resides in North Dakota and is a traveling salesman for the Watkins Medical Company; Ellen is the wife of A. E. Sherlin; Selma is the wife of Edward Smith and Esther is the wife of E. W. Walstrom.
Carl J. Dahlstrom is engaged in general farming and stock raising and is particularly interested in the raising of Holstein cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. He raises much wheat and potatoes, the latter being one of the prin- cipal crops in that section of the county, many thousands of bushels being raised every year. In addition to his many duties on the farm, Mr. Dahl- strom has always taken much interest in the civic affairs of his township. For four years he has been a director of the Belle River Creamery Company. He has served as treasurer of the school board for twelve years and was for four years a member of the township board of supervisors, in all of this service giving excellent satisfaction.
ALBERTUS SCHAFFER.
Albertus Schaffer, a successful farmer of Pelican Lake township, Grant county, was born in Marquette county, Wisconsin, on July 4, 1862, the son of Abraham and Marie ( Losack) Schaffer, who were born in Saxony, Ger- many, and who continued to live in the land of their nativity until 1840, when they decided that they would come to America. On their arrival in this country, they proceeded to Wisconsin, where they spent the rest of their lives, the father having died thirty-nine years ago, he then being past sixty years of age. The wife and mother died when the son Albertus was but a small boy. In his new home Abraham Schaffer was successful as a farmer and stock raiser and at the time of his death was the owner of three hun- dred acres of good land. He and his wife were members of the German Lutheran church and always took much interest in church work. They were highly respected people and were held in the highest regard by all who knew them. Mr. Schaffer was a man of much ability and possessed of much business acumen, which placed him among the successful m'en of his com- munity. Mr. and Mrs. Schaffer were the parents of the following children : Henry, Carl, Emma, Amelia, John, Lucy, Hattie, Albertus, Lena, Ida, Tillie and Augusta, all of whom are living save John.
Albertus Schaffer received his education in the local schools of Wiscon- sin. At the age of eighteen he left that state and came to Minnesota, locat-
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ing in Grant county, where he later purchased land, three miles from Elbow Lake. There he obtained one hundred and sixty acres of land and there he made his home until 1902, when he moved to his present home farm in sec- tion 5 of Pelican Lake township, where he has two hundred and forty acres of excellent land. He has done much in the way of development and has built a large barn and hog house and remodeled the house. In addition to his farm in Pelican Lake township, Mr. Schaffer is the owner of twenty-five acres of land in St. Olaf township, in the neighboring county of Ottertail. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising and has some fine Short- horn cattle, Hampshire hogs and some fine sheep, his stock being recognized as among the best in the county. He had a sheep that took first prize at the stock show at St. Paul and others that took first at he show at Fargo. His farm is known as "Garden Farm," the name being indicative of the care and attention that it receives.
At the age of twenty-four years Mr. Schaffer was united in marriage to Louisa Caesar and to this union two children have been born, Edwin and Wilford. Mr. Schaffer is known as "Sam" Schaffer, a little girl having given him the name, and he feels very proud of it.
GEORGE C. BROWN.
The late George C. Brown, for years a substantial farmer of North Ottawa township, Grant county, was born in Trondhjem, Norway, on July 28, 1842, the son of Andrew H. and Serena G. Brown. The mother died in Norway in 1865, after which the father came to America and in 1869 located in Milwaukee, where he lived for some years. He then came to Minnesota and located on a farm in Grant county, the farm on which the son, George C. Brown, later made his home. It was there that Andrew H. Brown died, in 1903, at the age of eighty-three years. To Andrew and Serena Brown three children were born, George C., Adolph and Annie, the latter of whom is the only survivor. Adolph died in 1909.
George C. Brown received his education in the public schools of Nor- way and there grew to manhood, remaining a resident of the land of his nativity until 1861. At that time he went to Canada, where he remained for a year, and then, in 1862, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He had, up to that time, lived, for the most part, the life of a sailor, but he soon left Milwaukee and settled on a farm in Boone county, Illinois, where he re-
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mained until 1890, when he came to Minnesota and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in North Ottawa township, Grant county. There he set out a beautiful grove and erected modern and substantial buildings and en- gaged in general farming and stock raising until the time of his death, on January 16, 1916.
George C. Brown was identified with the Republican party and always took an active interest in local affairs. He was an ardent advocate of the public schools of the state, and was the one who started the petition for the building of the school house in his district. He was for many years a mem- ber of the board of supervisors and accomplished much good for the town- ship during his years of service. He and his family were active members of the United Lutheran church, took much interest in church work and were prominent in the social and the religious life of the community.
On December 10, 1870, George C. Brown was united in marriage to Annetta M. Hansen, who was born in Norway on September 3, 1851, the daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Jertsen) Hansen, also natives of Nor- way, born on the same day, October 8, 1822. He died in 1878 and she sur- vived until October 7, 1912, being then ninety years of age. They were the parents of the following children: Hannah, George, Annetta M., Law- rence A. and Mary. Mary became the wife of Herbert Nelson and died in Milwaukee in 1899. Andrew and Margaret Hansen came to the United States and located in Milwaukee, where they spent the rest of their lives. During his active life Mr. Hansen was a sailor, but on locating at Milwaukee he lived a retired life.
To George C. and Annetta M. (Hansen) Brown were born the follow- ing children : Serena Margaret, Alena, George C., Annie, Matilda, Leonora, Frank, Frances A., Nellie Josephine, Adolph F., Roy Leland and Adolph Theodore. Serena Margaret is the wife of Peter Larsen and they are parents of two children, Leonora and Harvey. Alena is deceased. George C. is living on the old homestead. Annie L., now deceased, was the wife of Louis Derby. They were the parents of five children, Ruby, Frank, Mabel I., Ray- mond C. and George. Ruby is now the wife of William Hedlund and to them one child has been born, Ruth Elaine. Matilda A. is the wife of Charles McCalip and they are the parents of two children, Randolph and Beatrice A. Leonora is living on the old home place. Frank Norman died in 1885, at the age of two years. Frances is the wife of Melvin Evenson and is the mother of two children, Leland Leroy and Adaline Marie. Nellie Josephine is a teacher and lives at home. Adolph F. died in 1894, at the age of four years; Roy Leland and Adolph Theodore are operating the old home-
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